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Friday January 30, 2009 3:46 pm

The Joel Take - Final Crisis 7

Normally, I never re-read comics, mainly because owning a store means I have access to too many of them. But, I made an exception in the case of Final Crisis. The following was my original evil plan.

When the comics arrived I unpacked them and immediately read Final Crisis. I figured I could review it before any of my fellow bloggers (Thanks, Dave for beating me to the punch!). Well, I would have if I could have figured out what the hell happened here.

So it took me a little digesting and a re-read to understand this book. My DC rep said someone in the office figured it was going to take him a year and a complete re-read to fully understand everything that went on. I always tell people that at my age I can’t wait a year for anything. That all being said, I finally figured out exactly why I hated Final Crisis 7 and the entire series.

Anyone who follows wrestling realizes that the problem with the WWE is that all their writers are writing for an audience of one, Vince McMahon. Here, Grant Morison is writing for someone who’s identity we will never know. He tried to pack so much into the series that it has confused and upset the vast majority of readers. Comics are supposed to be popular culture, like, say, this site. Producing high art that is well above the comprehension of the common man may be emotionally satisfying to Mr. Morrison and a few of his contemporaries, but it does nothing for either my sales figures nor the emotional well-being of my customers. My wife is someone who saw the first five parts of Star Wars (chapters 1, 2, 4, 5, 6) but refused to see the sixth (chapter 3). How, I asked her, could you see the first five and not the sixth? Easy she replied. I liked the first three (4, 5, 6), but didn’t like the next two (1, 2) so why should I waste my time and money on the sixth? I have a feeling DC is going to promote the compilations with the idea that the only way to “fully enjoy” the story is all at once. I don’t think so.